I think you're right, it could save a lot of lives.  My best friend was addicted to heroin and almost died three times before he got clean and if he would've had this drug, he probably would've been in better shape now.  But he hasn't used in months so it's all good. 

The only thing I've noticed is the fact that it's more addictive and there's more strands being invented.  Poeple never used to care about  the quality of weed they were getting, but where I live there's not so much high-quality stuff that comes around.  And when it does, oh boy people get crazy over it.  I think everyone knows that smoking weed is bad for your short term memory, but honestly, it seems like you lose that anyway when you get older lol. 

This report is actually very true, people think that heroin isn't mainstream anymore, because everyone realized how dangerous it was.  But tons of people still do cocaine which is just as bad, why wouldn't there still be a ton of heroin addicts?  People think it's not as bad if you snort it, at least you're not injecting it right?  Injecting heroin may be a bit more dangerous because you're more than likely going to inject too much and not realize until you're waking up in the hospital, but it's all bad... it's cut and laced then resold the most.

Try showing him pictures of what his lungs are going to look like in a few years.  Three packs a day is too much, that's definately not normal.  Also, if people in his family don't smoke, then his chances of developing cancer are much greater.  Does he play sports, or anything like that, tell him that smoking isn't doing anything for him, only bringing him down in the long run.  But you have to remember that quitting cigarettes is harder than quitting heroin, so you have to be soo supportive.

You might be getting sick or had a really bad experience with food recently..?  Usually when something is bothering me or if I'm feeling sad/depressed/irritated, I have no appetite.  Or there's been times where I'm eating and I something pisses me off and I can't eat anymore.  But if this is still happening, you should probably go see your doctor... hope everything's okay.

There's actually a lot of people that are very scared of big dogs, but it's something they have to get over themselves, and he may never.  There's ways around it though, you're not always going to have your dog with you.  But if you have a pit bull, which are already stereotyped pretty badly, I'd suggest you take extra caution around other people and kids.

What if they have nowhere else to go?  I don't think a parent should ever kick out their daughter.  If a guy gets kicked out, he can just go crash at a friends house for a few nights.  But girls are different, they can get picked up so easily by any stranger and wind up in prostitution or raped and killed.

You're right, those statistics are really high.  The sad thing is that some of these soldiers are resorting to suicide because their PTSD and other disorders go untreated. We need to repay these soldiers and give them the best care possible, they're putting their lives on the line for this country.

It's important to get help especially when these celebrities have kids.  Not only is an illness cutting their lives short, but kids shouldn't have to see their parents like that.  It takes away from everything. 

Make it illegal to be in possession of alcohol on campus, illegal to be under the influence of alcohol on campus... and yes alcohol consumption will decrease.  However it's not the college's responsibility to get law enforcement involved, reduce alcohol sales, and use taxpayers money to pay for these bills to be passed.  If an eighteen year old isn't mature enough to handle their alcohol, then the parents shouldn't be paying for them to be in a fraternity.  And it's not an option to take away the fraternities, the schools make too much money from it.  75% of politicians and presidents in the past have been fraternity brothers. 

Of course there would be a ton of benefits of prohibition, but I doubt it will ever happen again.  People would never allow it, and we make too much money from it.  And yah, organized crime would go way, way up.

 Sometimes I feel like I'm the only person who gets this.  Even when I'm concentrating on something or trying to figure something out, even when praying to my HP I get so off track.  It might be because I'm under a ton of stress, but I feel like my mind will just start taking off on its own. 

1. Move. Do deep knee bends, run in place or climb the stairs. A few minutes of brisk activity may stop your nicotine craving in its tracks.
2. Replace. Try a stop-smoking product instead of a cigarette. Some types of nicotine replacement therapy — including patches, gum and lozenges — are available over-the-counter. Nicotine nasal spray and the nicotine inhaler are available by prescription.
3. Face yourself in the mirror. List out loud the reasons you want to quit smoking. Include the benefits of staying tobacco-free, such as a longer and healthier life, and more money — and time — to spend on things you enjoy.
4. Breathe deeply. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. You might even inhale air through a drinking straw.
5. Call for reinforcements. Team up with someone who doesn't smoke for a quick chat or brisk walk.
6. Make believe. Imagine your lungs getting healthier as each minute passes.
7. Do the math. Add up how much money you'll save by not smoking for a week, a month or a year. Make a list of luxuries you could buy with your savings — or calculate the interest you'll earn by investing the money.
8. Read a quitter's blog. Post encouraging thoughts for someone else who might be struggling with nicotine cravings.
9. Drink up. Sip a glass of ice water slowly. When the water is gone, suck on the ice cubes.
10. Sort your recipes. Jot down the ingredients for a few good-for-you recipes you've been meaning to try. The next time you shop for groceries, you'll be a step ahead of the game.
11. Laugh. Share a funny story with a friend, or search the Internet for a funny joke.
12. Plan ahead. Make a list of all the ways you can reward yourself for making it through another nicotine craving.
13. Freshen your breath. Brush and floss your teeth, rinse with mouthwash or suck on a breath mint.
14. Clean your closet. Discard any clothes yellowed by cigarette smoke or damaged with cigarette burns.
15. Try a mind bender. Do a crossword puzzle, word game or number puzzle.
16. Get soapy. Wash your car, scrub the floor or give the dog a bath.
17. Keep your mouth busy. Chew on a cinnamon stick, flavored toothpick or sugarless gum.
18. Get musical. Whistle, sing or play a musical instrument. Ask a partner to dance.
19. Have a ball. Dribble a basketball, hit a tennis ball against the wall or play catch with a partner.
20. Be positive. Remind yourself that the power to quit smoking is in your hands.

Her lawsuit was dismissed by a judge.  He said that a gambling problem is not a toxic habit, and it is not up to the casinos to physically stop gamblers.  The casinos denied any wrong doing and said that she brought it on herself. 

I think all schools should do something like that, where they see it happen right in front of their eyes.  When we watch it in drivers education class, it's not as effective because it's played on a movie.  A lot of kids think nothing like that could ever happen to them.  But the reality of it, is that it happens everyday and people die when drinking and driving.

I  did this at my elementary school also.  I think it affected me in
some way, but I didn't necessarily promise myself that I would never do
drugs after going through the program.  I felt like I would just be
able to say NO and then not feel pressured or anything.  But when I got
to high school, everyone drank and smoked.  It was like a normal
thing..  I didn't think there were going to be nearly as many
opportunities and peer pressure.  I figured there were going to be a
few people that were messed up, and on drugs.  It was a regular thing
at my school, but I'm sure DARE helped me somewhat.  When going through
the program, it made me realize that drugs were a stupid thing to get
into and they just mess up your life.  And I still feel the same way.

Kind of a side note from what you're discussing, but I was reading an article talking about how recovering addicts shouldn't have a facebook.  It's easy to jump from one addiction into another, and it could lead to what some people refer to as friendship addiction.  The site could also release feelings of rejection through the friend request function.  Acquisition of friends can be another fix, and some users judge themselves by how many friends they have.  Some people may go out of their way to amass friends and that means people bend out of shape into something they're not. 

Thanks sloppy joe joe!  This is good advice and insight for those trying to change their lifestyle around.  I'm a guy so I don't really pay attention to diets and such, and weight hasn't ever really been a big factor in my life.  Being thin isn't about dieting and counting calories, it's just about living a healthy life and being happy about your food choices.  A secret I like to live by is, Eat to live, don't live to eat.

I know a few people who are living with diabetes and knowing that other diabetics are suffering from eating disorders is a scary thought like you mentioned.  When their blood sugar is low, it can be a stressful situation if they don't get food in their system.  It's a constant struggle to keep blood sugar levels at a normal rate.  And depriving yourself of food is just making a bad situation worse. 

Welcome to Addicted!  We're glad to have you here, I hope your day is going well!  I remain in a relationship with my girlfriend, and we are both in recovery.  There was a break up and we took a few months apart, well, she wasn't talking to me!  But it made us stronger individuals and we actually appreciate each other's needs much better than before.  And I think the relationship is much better, we're growing as a couple, but we're both maturing also.  I think recovery can either make or break a relationship, but both partners need to be willing and committed to that person, in order to have a healthy relationship.  And things may not work out, but as long as you're happy with the situation, that's what matters.